NEWS
Government expanding CDCs to tackle NHS waiting lists
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled the government’s Elective Reform Plan, which aims to end NHS backlogs by offering up to half a million more appointments each year thanks to greater access to Community Diagnostic Centres and new or expanded surgical hubs. Millions of patients will be able to access more appointments closer to home and get the treatment they need faster under a new plan to tackle hospital backlogs set out by the prime minister on Monday 6 January. Greater patient choice over follow-up care will be part of a drive to open-up one million appointments, alongside better use of tech and other action to save another million missed appointments.
The Elective Reform Plan, published by NHS England, sets out a whole system approach to hitting the 18-week referral to treatment target by the end of this Parliament. This includes expanded use of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) so that many more people will be able to access tests and checks while going about their daily lives, and the NHS will also increase the number of surgical hubs, which help protect planned care from the impact of seasonal and other pressures. Tackling current waiting lists so that the NHS once again meets the 18-week standard for planned treatment is a key milestone in the government’s Plan for Change.
The plan will drive forward progress on
the government’s first steps commitment to deliver two million extra appointments in its first year, equivalent to 40,000 every week. The reforms will put patients first, harness technology to support staff and help the NHS to do things more efficiently.
Up to half a million more appointments a year are expected to be created in total by opening CDCs for longer and bringing 17 new and expanded surgical hubs online. Opening CDCs for 12 hours a day, seven days a week wherever possible will mean people can access a broader range of more appointments closer to home. This will make sure they are treated more quickly and more conveniently, rather than having to rely on hospitals.
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Leica Biosystems announces Indica Labs investment
Leica Biosystems has agreed to make a significant strategic investment in Indica Labs, the two pathology firms have announced. This partnership aims to accelerate AI-enabled companion diagnostics and will also create a new digital pathology platform.
As part of the agreement, Leica Biosystems and Indica Labs plan to launch a diagnostic digital pathology platform, pairing Leica Biosystems’ Aperio scanner portfolio with a customised version of Indica Labs’ HALO AP image management software, for use by clinical customers. The platform will be available exclusively from Leica Biosystems. The platform is expected to provide customers with a full suite of enterprise- grade digital pathology workflow functionalities, supporting onsite and remote primary diagnosis, and enabling customers to integrate AI applications of their own choosing through comprehensive
open interfaces (APIs). The companies also expect to open an AI applications marketplace, offering both their own and third-party applications.
For customers with a need for Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) workflows, the companies expect to offer the HALO Link platform with collaborative
browser-based image management features, enabling distributed teams to safely and securely manage, share, and analyse digital slides and data. Additionally, Leica Biosystems expects to integrate Indica Labs into the company’s companion diagnostics (CDx) development programme, working with Indica Labs on next-generation AI-enabled CDx assays. Leica Biosystems’ CDx development program, currently based out of Centers for Enabling Precision Medicine in the United Kingdom and the United States, partners with pharma companies globally to help unlock patient access to novel cancer therapies.
New distribution agreement for BIOHIT
BIOHIT has reached an agreement with Biomedal to supply its iVYLISA, iVYCHECK and GlutenDetect gluten immunogenic peptide (GIP) tests. Under this agreement, BIOHIT will have exclusive distribution rights over Biomedal’s range of rapid tests and immunoassays for gluten detection in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. BIOHIT will also have non-exclusive rights in all other European countries, excluding Italy and Spain. Biomedal’s range of GIP tests provide fast, non-invasive solutions to help coeliac disease and gluten sensitive patients monitor gluten intake and adherence to gluten-free diets. The test results correlate directly with mucosal damage and provide high specificity and sensitivity for the detection of even low intake levels, enabling healthcare professionals and patients to identify exposure and take immediate dietary action.
BIOHIT will be supplying clinical laboratories with the ELISA-based iVYLISA GIP Stool assay for highly specific, sensitive and scalable quantitative detection of GIP in stool samples. This will be supported by the iVYCHECK and GlutenDetect GIP lateral flow tests, which are ideal for both hospital and point-of-care settings – including GP surgeries, pharmacies, dietetics clinics and home testing – allowing convenient detection of GIP in stool or urine samples in as little as 15 minutes.
FEBRUARY 2025
WWW.PATHOLOGYINPRACTICE.COM
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